


Not My Boyfriend (But I Wouldn't Mind If He Was)!

by GaHoolianGirl



Series: SteveSam Shenanigans [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Friendship/Love, M/M, Not ridiculously implausible but lighthearted, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), This is lighthearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 11:16:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5741692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaHoolianGirl/pseuds/GaHoolianGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Will you quit it?"</p><p>"Sure. You have a one-on-one spar with your not-boyfriend in thirty. Enjoy your not-flirting."</p><p>"I will!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not My Boyfriend (But I Wouldn't Mind If He Was)!

**Author's Note:**

> This is meant to be a little silly and lighthearted, so some of the behavior is probably out of character. This also has nothing to do with Civil War, since I know nothing and care little about it.

"Glad to have your boyfriend here, Rogers?"

Steve pulled a face at Natasha's implications, and continued to polish his shield, with some added force. "We aren't in a relationship, Nat."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. I've seen you two flirt," she said, resting her side against the wall. She pretended to be interested in the state of her nails, her ruse weakened by her gloved hand.

"It was not 'flirting'. It's banter!" He pushed down harder, and if it wasn't vibranium, he would have pushed a hole into it. It was not flirting. Nope, nuh-uh...

"Right."

"Look, I'll grant that Sam is attractive, and I'm not actively adverse to a relationship with a man, but our relationship is completely professional. We're just close friends."

"So if he just up and got a girlfriend or boyfriend, you would be totally cool?"

 _Crash._ Down went his shield, the rag he was using gripped tightly in his hand. He extended his lips out in a petulant expression, bending to pick it up.

"Smooth, Steve. Smooth."

"Will you quit it?"

"Sure. You have a one-on-one spar with your _not-boyfriend_ in thirty. Enjoy your _not-flirting."_

"I will!"

* * *

_Oka_ __y_ , Nat has a point, _Steve conceded to himself as he changed into his training gear. He was also right in his concession that being in a same-sex relationship wasn't a far fetched idea. His sexuality was a side of himself that he wasn't free to explore when he grew up, and the environment he was in now was much more accepting.

He also was correct in his admission that Sam was appealing. He was so much so that it put Steve in a position of confusion. Sure, the environment was more accepting, but his experiences with people and modern pop culture, confessing to a best friend didn't end well. Sure he had warned Bruce not to wait, but his situation was different...right?

He was broken out of his internal arguing by the topic of debate himself. "Yo Cap!" he said with a smile, which Steve returned.

Shook his head, grin still plastered on his face. "Man, you've been through hell and back...again," he said, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder, "Glad to see you in one piece."

"Same here. What've you been doing while I was fighting deranged artificial intelligence?"

"Looking for your friend. Still no luck."

"One day."

Steve settled into their conversation easily, air between them comfortable. _Nothing needs to change about this,_ he thought. Ultron was deeply and terribly flawed, but he was right about one thing; Steve didn't want change. So much had changed. The world, his friends, _himself_. Having stability was something he needed, and Sam was one outlet for that.

"Well, why don't we get started?" Sam said with a crooked grin, "Go easy on me, Cap."

Once more Steve returned the grin, "You'd be mad if I did."

"Damn right."

* * *

"Woo-ee...." Sam said in a huff of breath, leaning against the wall, body glistening with sweat, "Impressive as ever. Running isn't the only thing you're good at."

"The world would be in a lot worse shape of it was," Steve returned with a laugh.

"Got that right. Glad to have you on our side, Steve."

"Glad to be."

They enjoyed the silence for a moment. It was better to be silent with a good friend than chatty with a bad one, Steve believed. It was a policy he held with Bucky, and that had transferred over to Sam.

"It's good to be with someone I can talk to again."

"Your team...your ex-teammates weren't much conversation?"

"Not really...trust isn't something you give out easily once most everyone you know is dead," Steve said with a rueful smile. Once more, he felt a supportive hand clap on his back. Sam gave him a sympathetic look, now having regained his breath.

"I know I'm an Avenger now...and you're technically my teacher and boss...but I'm still your friend. If you want to talk, that was my job for a good while."

Steve felt a smile creep on his face. He figured that opening up was a ways away, but having the offer put a warm feeling in his chest, which he had only experienced with one person before (the first time he saw Peggy his whole body permeated with the same warmth).

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You better."

The silence returned, before Steve dared chance the question of sexuality. He wanted to explore it, but that was an endeavour he had no clue how to start. Sam was trained to readjust soldiers, but surely he knew about this...

"Hey..." he began carefully, "This is on the side of personal..."

Sam just looked glad he was opening up, so he continued.

"Uhm...what if...I wasn't exactly straight...but don't know...what my other options are?"

He almost took Sam's lack of answer as rejection, but he was rebuked with laugh. "Your internet travels haven't led you there yet?"

"I’ve come across a few terms here and there, but to define myself is...different."

"Look, I can't tell you what exactly you are, that's your thing, but bi seems to fit you pretty well."

"Bi..." the word sat on Steve's tongue pleasantly.

"You've been attracted to women, right?" Steve nodded, fond memories of Peggy flashing in his mind.

"Men too?" Despite his best efforts, his gaze fell onto his companion. He nodded, looking away as quickly as possible.

Sam hummed in response.

"Then bi seems pretty accurate," the hand on Steve's shoulder that he didn't know was there tightened, "You're not alone. Me too."

He looked up, eyes slightly enlarged, "You?"

"Yeah. Figured I wouldn't mention. I thought you'd be cool with it, but you were raised in the 30's."

"My mom raised me better than to judge people for that. I just had to keep my support...private."

Sam's smile made any worries he had melt away. "Doesn't talking about shit feel good?'

He nodded. "It does, in a way."

The silence returned for a moment. _Now that that's in the clear, how do I broach the subject that I may have a crush on you?_

"Uh..." the stalwart, brave superhero Captain America twiddled his thumbs, looking like the nervous, scrawny kid he once was, "What if I..."

"What if you what?"

"Asked this because I had someone in mind?"

Steve would have thought his eyes were tricking him when he saw Sam deflate a little, but his eyes hadn’t tricked him since before the serum. "Good for you. I'm glad. Having someone in your life is a good thing."

“Do you have any...particular advice?”

He was met with a raised eyebrow. “Me? Love advice? Not the best idea.”

“Why not?"

Sam gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Well, I've been pining after someone for a few months, and they haven't seemed the catch on, so I'm not too great."

"They don't know what they're missing out on," Steve said earnestly, so earnestly that he had to look away to hide his subsequent flush.

"Thanks man...but now that you've said that, I think they do."

Steve snapped his head back to Sam immediately, "Y-You sure?"

"Pretty," he said, and his tone of voice made it seem more like a comment of Steve's appearance than a qualifier to his statement, "But to make sure...how would you feel if I said it was you?"

Steve's heart beat so loudly you could hear it pound through his thick chest. "I'd be pretty daman happy, since I, uh, meant you too."

"That makes things real simple, don't it?"

"I guess it does."

They returned to the comfortable silence of earlier, both with one less burden on their shoulders.

Though neither spoke, Steve felt Sam grab his hand, and he smiled. _I’m pretty sure someone in this base owes Natasha money._ •

**Author's Note:**

> I started this in goddamn May, so most of it is from my intial reactions.


End file.
